Milo Prevails

After our rabies scare of over six weeks ago and the quarantine we were subjected to, I am happy to report that the rabies-free fairy has dusted our dog, Milo, with good health.  We are now able to welcome friends and family back into our home.  Now if we can only teach Milo to stick to the dog treats instead of the occasional sick bat, he'd be more likely assured of a longer and healthier life.  But as dogs rarely think about the consequences of frolicking with unhealthy things, we will probably have many more trips to the vet before he reaches his dotage. 

Smile for the people, Milo.  

Shorter Days

The pesky privets and pyracantha in our back yard are berried out.  The birds will be here soon to repaint the cars with their monochrome white palette.  How those weightless creatures can be so messy stymies me.


I'm never prepared for the shorter days and the impending desire to hibernate that I feel so strongly.  If it weren't for the need for exercise and healthy living, I'd probably never move from in front of the computer or the comfort of my cozy sofa.  Winter makes me recall fondly (though foolishly) the snowy seasons of my youth when I didn't have to dress children in snowsuits, constantly clean up their puddles of melted snow just inside the door, brave the elements for another run to the grocery store, bring in the (literally) frozen sheets and clothes that had been hanging outside to dry.  I've lived in and visited snow in my adulthood and would not choose to do it again.  The adult version is much less romantic but for those few hours after a snowstorm when the sounds of the world are muffled by the natural acoustic insulation that had fallen from the sky. 

I suppose this is the time when writers are supposed to be their most creative--locked in their writers' caves distracted less by the chirping birds and the dappled light through the foliage.  There is, however, a folding in of mind and body that occurs in the colder weather.  It's like the spring crocus closing at night in order to restore itself for the new day.  Does that mean that writers who live closer to the equator are more prolific?  Or is it just that they are more likely to be drawn outside to ponder nature and muse in preparation for writing?

I'd like to think I will prevail.  A season-free writer, if you will.  The words will continue falling from my mind onto the keyboard come rain, sleet, snow and sun.

Old Friends

 In August, an old friend of my father's came from Pennsylvania with his wife to attend a nephew's wedding.  He and I made arrangements months in advance for me to drive to Palo Alto from Sacramento to make sure Dad and he were able to enjoy a visit.  To the South Bay we went for a long lunch and visit with Dick and Marge.  Dad is a retired Unitarian Universalist minister.  Dick is a retired piano professor at a college near Philadelphia.  They became friends in Canton, New York, where Dick was a student at St. Lawrence University and Dad was the minister at the Canton Universalist Church.  While I'm no spring chicken--in fact, retired after many years of paid employment--visiting with these two men--one an octogenarian (Dick) and one a nonagenerian (Dad)--was memorable for me.  Also memorable for them, they were able to reminisce in a way that gave me hope for my dotage. 

They talked.

They laughed. 

They appreciated each other.

Friendship is a blessing. 

Lonely Dog

Almost two weeks ago, our sweet Milo found a sick bat on the back patio.  Thinking it had been placed there specifically for his own enjoyment, he played around with it.  Eventually, the bat died and Sam carefully placed it in a plastic bag using a stick.  And the next morning, Phil took it in to the county animal control center for testing.  Milo and the house were placed in quarantine for ten days, so no one except the people who live in this house could come here.  So it's been an unusual ten days.

Last evening, we finally received a call from the county  Evidently, there was not enough "brain matter" to know whether or not the bat had had rabies, so the quarantine continues for 30 days!  Yikes.  Poor puppy is getting mighty lonely.  No walks around the block.  No visits with my sister's dog.  No visits from Winston and Jack, son Seth's dogs.  No visit from any humans.  Milo's friend, one of our cats, Max, still shares and still plays; but there's an equally serious implication for him and his brother, Spike.  We've invested a fortune in frisbees and other flying things to keep Milo entertained and exercised in the back yard.  Good thing we have a lot of space back there. 

In the meantime we are required to observe the dog for any evidence of symptoms that would indicate rabies.  We are on the edge of our seats--at the mercy of the dog gods, hoping for the very best and worried about the very worst.

Commitments

So there's this thing about agreeing to do something for someone you love and then reneging on it that's very unsettling.  Well, it's not as unsettling for the reneger as it is for the renegee.  I agreed to be somewhere for my dear brother and just as dear sister-in-law and find myself unable to fulfill that obligation.  It leaves me feeling helpless and guilty.  It leaves them feeling annoyed and in the lurch--at least.  

Here's the deal.  All the good intentions in the world don't make it so.  And were there a magic wand that could make it all happen the way we want it to, we'd all use it.  But there isn't.  And sometimes things just don't work out the way they're supposed to.  Regrettably, all this justification does not change the basic feeling that the magic wand would be mighty handy. You know?  

I think, though, that basically we all try to do what we can to make the lives of those we love better.  And that's a good thing.  Good on many levels.  So we should probably be thankful for the good feelings that come from what we do and we should try to appreciate that effort.  And for those we let down?  We'll always be sorry.  But we'll always keep trying.

The Book Has Arrived

Finally!  We have finished the book.  We spent the day working through the complications--despite such titles as "Five Easy Steps" or "Follow these simple directions."  Such idle threats. . .  We finally figured it all out and it is now available as an e-book at Amazon.  Pretty exciting venture for me and my co-author, Dimity.  But worth every minute.  And by the end of the week, we will hopefully have made the book available in paper copy--also on Amazon.  We've learned a lot along the way, which might make the technical details a little simpler for us in the future.  And we've already begun the next Cape Cod adventure.  So look out, world.  Here we come!  Water logged and crime infested.  The best Cape Cod has to offer.  

Here's a link to the book:  http://www.amazon.com/Divas-Demise-Crime-Mystery-ebook/dp/B005N0MQ36/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1316067177&sr=8-2.  Hope you enjoy it.

Calm after the Storm

Monday was quiet and calm after a weekend of sons and their ladies, extra dogs, yummy food, fun games in the yard.  Seth, the oldest, arrived on Saturday morning with his girlfriend, Rachel, and his two dogs, Jack and Winston.  Milo was in heaven with two new playmates.  They hardly stopped playing the entire time.  I had Seth and Rachel to myself for a lot of the afternoon until others arrived, which any loving mother enjoys when visits are few and far between.  After Patrick and Christine (son two and girlfriend) and the Sams (youngest son, Sam, and fiancee, Samantha) showed up, we enjoyed dinner--my Faux Bouillabaise.  Since I had broken my ribs on Monday, it was a challenge to cook dinner; but post-dinner clean-up was left to someone else.  We sat and talked late into the evening enjoying each other's company. 

On Saturday, breakfast lasted the entire morning, given a variety of sleeping and eating habits, starting with me and ending with Pat and Christine.  Dinner on Sunday was prepared by Pat and Christine--a delicious chicken tetrazzini and lovely salad with tomatoes, carrots and lemon cucumbers from the garden.  They enjoy their food and know how to make it enjoyable to others.

Seth and Rachel gathered up the dogs and left for San Francisco late Sunday evening when weekend traffic returning from Lake Tahoe had already subsided.  It was, plain and simple, a wonderful weekend.